Growing up in the suburbs, I longed to know the mysteries of the forest past the edge of the baseball field. When I read The Tracker by Tom Brown Jr., I knew I was on to something. I found Tom’s very first student, Jon Young. Jon taught me about intuitive Earth connection in the same way that Tom mentored him, and initiated me on the path of the Coyote Mentor. In turn, it’s been my honor to have mentored nature-curious folks from around the world. The books I recommend here have been major milestones on my path, and I hope they inspire you the way they have me.
I wrote...
Conscious Nature
By
Josh Lane,
What is my book about?
Your brain is wired to connect deeply with nature; our ancestors all depended on their intimate sensory relationship with the…
There is a visceral feeling sense we all possess that speaks in the ancient language of emotion and instinct.
This primal sense weaves meaning with our embodied world, flowing beneath the busy worded substrate of the mind. It is a language of the heart, the universal mother tongue of nature and the soul. Once I learned to appreciate this felt sense, my walks in nature became journeys of discovery.
Buhner shows how to become fluent in this forgotten language, opening a door to the inner secrets of the natural world. One of the great teachers of the heart’s language is the plant world: the plants in your garden, by the roadside, and along the forest trail can all become mentors that help you learn the subtleties of instinctual communication with nature.
In Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm, Stephen Harrod Buhner reveals that all life forms on Earth possess intelligence, language, a sense of I and not I, and the capacity to dream. He shows that by consciously opening the doors of perception, we can reconnect with the living intelligences in Nature as kindred beings, become again wild scientists, nondomesticated explorers of a Gaian world just as Goethe, Barbara McClintock, James Lovelock, and others have done. For as Einstein commented, "We cannot solve the problems facing us by using the same kind of thinking that created them."
I have often considered what spirituality meant for my ancestors of long ago, when lifeways were aligned with local subsistence patterns through gathering and hunting.
For inspiration, I turn to the Bushman (San) cultures of southern Africa, who hold one of the most ancient living spiritual traditions on the planet; this book offers a window into their enduring cosmovision, woven close to the fabric of the Earth.
The Bushman story of First and Second Creation immediately caught my attention as a primary teaching about unity consciousness (First Creation) and the mind’s tendency to trick itself into believing its own projections (Second Creation) – an important reminder to step back into the moment and not take ourselves too seriously in the midst of our spiritual life journey.
The Bushman Way of Tracking God
By
Bradford Keeney,
What is this book about?
From "the Indiana Jones of the spiritual world" (Utne Reader)-a groundbreaking look at original spirituality with a unique and all-encompassing approach to life that comes from the world's most ancient religion.
The Kalahari Bushmen are the keepers of the world's oldest living culture. In spite of colossal challenges and never-ending crises, they have survived for over 60,000 years with joy and peace-yet their spiritual teachings, the source of their enduring wisdom, have never been fully presented.
For the first time, these ancient oral traditions have been put down onto paper taking you through the veil of original spirituality, connecting the…
Are you tired of feeling tired? In a world that never stops, Drowning Lifeguards is a compassionate, down-to-earth guide for anyone struggling with exhaustion, burnout, or chronic fatigue.
Written by Ruth Hull, homoeopathic doctor, herbalist, counsellor, and author of five health-science textbooks, it offers a fresh, human approach to healing.…
Because much of my work is about bridging connections with nature into the modern experience, as a reader, I appreciate Nabhan’s insightful reflections of participation in cultures close to the Earth; his stories show how deeply people can live into balanced connections with our local environments.
Simple, everyday activities like gathering firewood for grandma and grandpa can become openings into deeper relationships with our local ecosystems, if we gift ourselves some time to explore and become curious about the world around us along the way.
That possibility gives me inspiration for my own family’s nature connection journey and helps me think creatively when I work with clients who want to deepen their sense of place.
A collection of essays explores the impact of indigenous cultures with stable communities on the conservation of biological diversity in natural habitats.
Ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan provides 26 essays that go beyond mere observations of wildlife but offer theories of links between cultural and biological diversity. He champions a shift away from the preservation efforts of the mainstream environmental movement, rejecting the separateness of ecological preserves that exclude humans. Nabhan argues that biodviersity thrives best in the presence of an involved, participatory culture, and his argument is bolstered by research and years of field experiecne.
Reading this book in my teen years changed my life.
Instinctually, I had always known there was a deeper layer of reality beyond the veneer of modern experience, waiting for me to connect. Tom’s meditations were part of a larger awakening process that opened my eyes to the spiritual world.
These true stories inspired me to get outside and make real connections with animals and ecosystems of my place, and with the spirit-that-moves-through-all-things. Through this practice, I found renewed hope and motivation and began building my own experiential understanding of nature’s mysteries.
Ultimately, this book sent me on a journey that continues to this day, thirty years later! Thank you, Tom.
The Quest
By
Tom Brown, Jr.,
What is this book about?
The author relates his search for spiritual enlightenment in the wilderness under the guidance of an Apache shaman and explores humanity's mystical relationship with nature
Are you tired of feeling tired? In a world that never stops, Drowning Lifeguards is a compassionate, down-to-earth guide for anyone struggling with exhaustion, burnout, or chronic fatigue.
Written by Ruth Hull, homoeopathic doctor, herbalist, counsellor, and author of five health-science textbooks, it offers a fresh, human approach to healing.…
After years of practicing yogic-based meditation and qigong, I felt called to seek out spiritual Earth connection practices from my own European ancestral lineages.
This book stood out to me because it opens a path directly to the deep consciousness of the Earth, through journeys based on Celtic and pre-Celtic symbols. Each exploration has opened new insights and transformations, leaving me feeling a greater attunement with nature and with my own being.
There is a deep-time metaphysics underlying this book, connected to the ancient mysteries yet without the heavy trappings of elaborate outer ritual. This bare-bones simplicity makes the practice accessible in the midst of a full life.
The Underworld Initiation
By
R. J. Stewart,
What is this book about?
The authentic core of Western mysteries revealed through oral traditions, Celtic myth and legend. Provides a unique insight into the initiatory path of Western esoteric system.
Your brain is wired to connect deeply with nature; our ancestors all depended on their intimate sensory relationship with the Earth to survive and thrive. Deep nature connection unlocks our full potential for wellbeing.
In this book, you’ll discover why birdsong is the original mantra…how to harness the five brain states for greater connection…and you’ll explore sensory techniques that bring restoration and grounding, while helping you to begin reading the hidden stories of your place. Learn nature tracking skills that empower curiosity, encourage deep reflection, and help you awaken new layers of meaningful relationships with nature outside your door and in the deepest wilderness. Conscious Nature is a light-hearted yet immersive introduction to the art of deep nature connection, shared by an experienced guide.
